THE STEAMER ALBION.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXI, Issue 2364, 8 March 1876, Page 2

THE STEAMER ALBION.

[west coast times, march 7.]

. At the commencement of their new trade to Sydney, and at a time when the connection of Melbourne with the West Coast by Messrs M'Meckan, Blackwood, and Co's boats is considerably curtailed, it is peculiarly disappointing that their steamers should quit the Coast untendered. It is indeed, aggravating when this arises from no extraordinary circumstances, but is to all appearance greatly owing to personal peculiarities of temper on the part of ship-captains, and its unrestrained exercise, to the detriment of the interests of owners, consignees, and passengers, i And, if this has not actually been the cause, it looks very like it in the case of the Albion's departure, on Friday last. Most visitors to the Coast are familiar with the sea-dog style of address— the brusque manner — which characterises some of the captains of the ocean steamers and of the tenders when they come in contact in these roadsteads. Like mastiffs and terriers, some of them or -their inferior officers worry each other in words in a manner highly exciting and exhilarating to the spectators, if not always. felicitous as a means of facilitating transhipment. Judging by the description given in the Greymouth paper, and which we have reason to believe was substantially correct, there was a Bpecial exhibition of this when the Albion arrived at that porb under command of Captain Clwk. There was no consideration, it is said, in suiting the snip's position to the sea, the wind, or the work of transhipment; the Waipara v had taken her time " in coming out, and the Albion would take her own way of accommodating her, However this may be, and however much or little time may have been lost, both vessels started for Hokitika, but the sea was so high and the tow-rope so short that the tender -would either have lost her mast, sprung her plates, or been towed under if the rope had not been cast off. This being done, and having t-e Grey passengers on board, the Waipara returned to her nearest port ; the Albion came hither, and waited for twentyfour hours. On Friday morning, the danger -signal deterred the Waipara from leaving the Grey, but she left in the evening, and reached the roadstead when the Albion was still at anshor. It was impossible to enter and return on the 3ame tide, and Capt. Clarke was informed from the tender, which remained in the roadstead, that he would be tendered next morning. With the tender outside and in bis company, and with the weather improving, did he. wait? No; he would not. He waited when there was no tender ; and he went when there was. Cargo was not landed; mails were not shipped; and a number of passengera who had came specially to Hokitika were disappointed under circumstances such as have never occurred before. They are naturally wroth— to such an extent in one instance that an appropriate gift was made to one by his companions in the shape of a packet of " Steadman's Soothing Powders. " Seriously, however mutual may have been any show of temper at the first, there was a strange want of consideration shown by Captain Clarke in the suddenness of his departure at the last, and he had else, where, it not here, previously enjoyed th c reputation of being exceptional, compared

with other captains of the same fleet. Those interested and disappointed insist upon comparing his with Captain John M 'Lean's conduct under similar circumstances, remembering that, only when he was himself washed from the bridge to the wheel did he "up anchor and hook it ;" and for the moment steamers and steamer management are at a considerable discount among the disappointed.